Mike Waltz rejects the idea of Ukraine joining NATO amid peace talks

It looks as if the US has simply changed sides and wants to give Putin a victory that the Russians couldn't have dreamt of six months ago.

Professor Michael Clarke, a former director-general of the widely respected Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), warned

History will be incredibly damning towards Mr Trump in everything that he seems to do, in aligning himself with some of the world's worst dictators,

added Maj Fox, who is a senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where the UK's future Army officers are trained

Justin Trudeauprime Minister

This is not a conflict Ukraine wanted, provoked or asked for in any way

Trudeau added

Frankly, we have little choice but to continue on that path - what we share both in values & secrets can’t be undone in a single presidential term,

he wrote

An end to the war is being negotiated while a fifth of Ukrainian territory is under enemy occupation

Speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank, she said

Boris Johnsonformer Prime Minister

There's no way America is going to get its hands on any proceeds from Ukrainian minerals until there is a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine

Mr Johnson said

The Russian military is really on its last breath. What we're seeing is they basically cannot maintain offensive combat power. The best they can do is just feed men into this meat grinder and gain almost no territory.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with investment platform Saxo, Mr Kinzinger, a vocal supporter of Ukraine, said

Emmanuel Macronpresident

I specifically asked him [Vladimir Putin] that question

But speaking at the White House yesterday on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, and after a visit by French president Emmanuel Macron, President Trump said

Vladimir Putinpresident

I don’t use those words lightly, we’ll see how it all works out.

When asked yesterday if he would characterise Putin similarly, Mr Trump declined, saying

Emmanuel Macronpresident

I think the war [in Ukraine] could end soon, within weeks, if we’re smart

Speaking in the Oval Office during Mr Macron’s visit, Mr Trump said

You know how ugly and unpleasant it is, to hear some of the misrepresentations that have come out of Washington the last ten days or so, really peddling the Kremlin line.

He said

We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It's Europe's destiny."

In a post on X, von der Leyen said

Volodymyr Zelenskyypresident

I am focusing on security today and not in 20 years' time. I don't plan to be in power for 10 years,

Zelensky told the forum, stating his readiness to step down if it means peace for Ukraine

Michael Waltznational security adviser

Of course the U.S. would protect our assets for which we were invested in,

Waltz said

We expect to get this deal done, President Trump expects to get this deal done, and I think you will see that in very short order,

he said

We have sovereign countries in Europe who take decisions on their own militaries,

she explained

It won't be a deal that will show Trump as a great winner and great dealmaker. He will be with this huge mess and I hope he will realise it before entering into anything like that."

She continued

To increase defence spending to 3% or 4% of GDP, it kind of sounds very radical and politically difficult for many European countries today,

she said

It looks like blackmail. Ukraine has to keep in mind that once you give in to blackmail, it never ends,

they said

We all feel betrayed since Trump started to talk about his ‘peace plans.’ I would not be surprised if he’s Russia’s best agent. We have to hold on…that’s all.”

An intelligence officer told CNN